Love’s Fleeting Splendor
Weblic
Chapter 1
Lena Norwoord married her father’s much older friend, Micah Shaw, when she was 20.
He was eight years older than her and was known as a cold–hearted man in their circles. He was a ruthless businessman who never showed interest in women. However, he was impossibly gentle with her.
He would have millions of dollars worth of jewelry delivered to her the next day just because he had overheard her saying that a necklace looked nice.
He would drop billion–dollar deals to make her warm soup and spoon–feed her with patience and gentleness when her period cramps left her curled up in bed.
In moments of passion, he would grip her waist and murmur with a hoarse voice, calling her sweet and addictive.
Every one of his social media accounts had the same name-“To Alice.”
Lena always thought it was a tribute to the song she played on the piano the day they first met, until she found an old photo album in his study one day.
Every photo in the album was of the same girl, who looked strikingly like her, smiling beside a piano.
The words on the back of the photos read, “To Alice, my dearest Laris Halloway.”
Lena did only two things after discovering the truth.
She first went to the hospital to terminate her five–month pregnancy. The baby had already started kicking by then.
She gritted her teeth and didn’t cry on the operating table. It wasn’t until the nurse asked her if she wanted to see the baby that she broke down and shook her head.
The second thing she did was draft a divorce agreement.
Then, she called Micah.
He used to answer her calls in an instant and ask with a gentle voice, “Baby, what’s wrong?” However, this time, she had to call him 23 times before he finally picked up.
A burst of noise came through the phone, followed by the teasing voices of his friends.
“First love hits hard, huh? Micah just dumps his five–month pregnant girl at home as soon as Laris returns.”
“Well, she’s just a stand–in. You should’ve seen how much he loved Laris back then. He nearly drank himself to death when they broke up. He never got over her and even found himself a replacement.”
“That poor girl still has no idea and still clings to Micah every single day. I bumped into them kissing the other day, and the way she latched onto him just about turned my bones to jelly. I’d have long gotten over Laris if I had a sweet and soft girl like her back at home waiting for me.”
“Alas, Micah looks aloof, but he’s hopeless when it comes to love. He’ll only love Laris in this lifetime. Didn’t you see that just now? She casually complained that her heels hurt her feet, and he immediately carried her up and took her to buy flats.”
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Lena held her phone as silent tears streamed down her face.
Suddenly, the other end of the call fell silent.
“Who answered my phone?” Micah’s voice cut in.
“What? I have no idea. Someone probably pressed it by accident…”
Footsteps echoed on the other end of the phone before the background noise quickly quieted down.
When Micah spoke again, Lena heard his gentle tone–which she could never resist–come through the phone. He said, “Baby, what’s wrong? Can’t sleep because of the thunder? I have a dinner meeting. I’ll go back in a bit to be with you and the baby, okay?”
Lena took a deep breath. “I called to talk about signing the divorce…”
A woman’s voice came through before she could finish her words, “Micah, my feet hurt…”
Micah momentarily fell silent before quickly saying to Lena, “Baby, go to sleep first. I’ll be home soon.”
With that, he hung up the phone.
Lena smiled faintly and wiped away her tears before lifting her gaze and looking at the table in front of her.
There were two gifts on it–both were for him. One was the divorce agreement, while the other was a box containing the remains of the child they lost.
Anyone who betrayed a genuine heart deserved a thousand sleepless nights and a lifetime of regret.
Lena was young, but she wasn’t naive enough to endure this kind of betrayal. She wouldn’t keep anyone who deceived her. She knew how to love deeply and knew even better on how to let go.
Chapter 1
She didn’t know how long she had sat there before she finally got up and placed the box with their late child into the fridge.
Suddenly, a noise came from the villa’s front door.
“Baby, why aren’t you in bed?” Micah removed his jacket and walked over with his tie hanging loose around his neck. “What are you looking for in the fridge? Are you hungry?”
Lena didn’t respond to him. She simply quietly looked at him.
Micah was a bit thrown off by her indifference. He then held up a beautifully packed box of food from behind him. His eyes were soft as he said, “I went all over the city to buy you this. You’ve been craving it lately, haven’t you?”
He laid out all the snacks Lena loved the most when morning sickness hit.
She would’ve thrown herself into his arms before this. But now, all she felt was irony.
“Why are you standing there and not saying anything? Is the baby making you uncomfortable again?” Micah said as he reached out to touch her lower abdomen.
Lena blocked his hand and handed him a document. “Sign this.”
Micah was slightly stunned, but his phone rang just as he was about to take a look.
She glanced at the screen–it was Laris.
After hearing the voice on the other end of the line, Micah’s expression softly shifted. He hung up the phone and quickly signed the paper without glancing at it. Then, he grabbed the car keys and was about to turn to leave.
“Baby, I have an urgent matter to attend to. Get some rest.” He walked toward the door before adding with a gentle tone, “From now on, you can buy anything you want and don’t have to ask for my approval. We’re husband and wife. What’s mine is yours.”
Lena tightened her grip on the signed divorce agreement. Her lips curled into a faint smile. “Micah, we won’t be husband and wife anymore soon.”
